The leader of the Boilers

Thursday

Dec 6, 2012 at 9:05 PMDec 6, 2012 at 9:08 PM

Kewanee guard Dayton Ince is the Star Courier's Athlete of the Week

Mike Landis

Dayton Ince's senior season with the Kewanee Boilermakers is off to such a good start that even his rough games are turning out just fine.Not that he's had many rough games, but the one that sticks out was remedied by one clutch shot."That was probably the worst game I've played this year," said Ince regarding the final night of the Orion Tip-Off Classic against the host Chargers.Even though his senior leader was having a sub-par shooting night, Kewanee coach Steve Salisbury knew exactly where he wanted the ball to go for the last shot at Orion."If we could get the ball in Dayton's hands, I wasn't going to call a timeout," said Salisbury.With eight seconds remaining, Kewanee freshman Donovan Oliver rebounded an Orion miss at the free-throw line and dribbled up court with his team trailing 54-53. Showing wisdom beyond his freshman years, Oliver was able to get the ball in Ince's hands. Ince launched a 3-pointer and experienced a first in his high school career — a buzzer-beating shot to win the game."He's proven to me night after night that he can hit the three if he's open," said Salisbury. "He has the knack for hitting the big shot." "I love it," said Ince of being the primary option when the game's on the line. "Every time it's close and we've got a chance, I tell the coaches that I want the ball."The 56-54 win over Orion started Kewanee's current four-game winning streak, which has been fueled by Ince's long-range shooting prowess. In wins over Fulton, Morrison and Geneseo, he's scored 85 points and drained 18 3-pointers. And now you can add Star Courier Athlete of the Week to his recent roll.Salisbury said Ince's early-season success can be traced back to a hectic summer that included playing for a Sterling-based AAU basketball team, playing for two baseball teams and putting up 10,000 shots."He showed how dedicated he is to our program," said Salisbury."Last summer was very stressful, not only on me but on my parents, too. We were running all over the place," said Ince.But with stress comes success. Nobody knows what to expect from Ince better than Salisbury. He's been his basketball coach all four years at KHS — two years at the sophomore level and the final two on varsity."I think we have a unique relationship. He knows that I trust him at all times," said Salisbury. "He's really just like having another coach on the floor. I know that's cliche, but he's my senior captain and I have a lot of faith in him."Ince was counted on to score last season as a junior, but as a senior he brings much more to the court for the Boilers as a captain along with teammate Matt Gustafson."Everything is slower. I've just kind of settled in and become a better player all the way around," said Ince. "I really worked hard on my mid-range jumper and getting to the hole, getting fouled and going to the line and making my free throws.""Even when he's not being a vocal leader, the kids pick up on whatever he's doing," said Salisbury. "I felt that last year even though he wasn't a captain. The kids just kind of follow his lead.""He's a great player," added Salisbury, "and he's also a great kid and I think the world of him."And he's got what every shooter dreams of — the green light from his coach."I've always liked that. Gus (Matt Gustafson) and I always joke around about it. He's got it, too," said Ince. "We can shoot whenever we want."And if the shots keep falling, there's no telling what the Boilers can accomplish during the 2012-13 season."Our main goal is to win a regional, and we want to win our conference on the way there," said Ince. "We think that we have the talent and we're good enough to win a regional and hopefully make a deep run in the tournament this year."

Athlete of the Week Honor RollMark Breedlove, Kewanee — Won the 138-pound title at the Seneca Tournament and was named the Most Valuable Wrestler in the lower weights.Alex Strom, Galva — Scored 18 points in leading the Lady Wildcats to a conference-opening win over Mercer County.Ashley Phillips, Stark County — Scored 14 points twice last week, helping the Lady Rebels to wins over United and Kewanee.Celina VanHyfte, Annawan — The junior’s 25 points led the unbeaten Bravettes over Princeville.Dexter Ingels, Galva — Dropped 30 points on Ridgewood in Galva’s 69-56 win over the Spartans.Dalton Nuding, Kewanee — Tallied 21 points and scored the go-ahead basket in the closing seconds of Kewanee’s win over Morrison.Parker Neuhalfen, Bureau Valley — The Storm sophomore scored 21 points in BV’s non-conference win over Hall.